Transportation officials use Rose Bowl to promote Metro Gold Line

by KPCC Wire Services

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Local transportation officials urged downtown and East Los Angeles residents today to ride the recently opened Metro Gold Line extension to the Rose Parade and other activities surrounding the procession
and Rose Bowl Game.

The Metro Gold Line extension, which opened in November, passes through the Little Tokyo/Arts District, Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles on the way to Pasadena.

"The Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension opened just in time to welcome the historic L.A. communities to the world-renowned New Year's spectacle that is the Tournament of Roses," said Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian, chairman of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

"The new extension should expose a whole new generation of fans to enjoy one of our region's most beloved holiday destinations by Metro Rail," Najarian added.

At a morning news conference, Metro board members and Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar, who represents parts of East L.A., urged his constituents to take advantage of the Gold Line to enjoy the Rose Parade.

"With low-priced fares on the Metro Eastside Gold Line Extension along with free or nominal charges for the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Showcase of Floats, more Eastside and downtown residents will now have the opportunity to enjoy affordable family fun at one of the nation's premier New Year's celebrations," Huizar said.

Metro Rail lines will run every 20 minutes overnight from Thursday into Friday. The Metro Orange Line will also operate all night.

Metro will provide free rides on all Metro bus and rail lines from 9 p.m. Thursday until 2 a.m. Friday.

After 2 a.m. Friday, people can buy a $5 Metro Day Pass for unlimited train rides that day.

In addition to overnight service, Metro will run additional trains and more frequent service on the Metro Gold Line to accommodate an expected crush of riders from 5 a.m. through 9 p.m., with trains running as frequently as every seven minutes to and from Pasadena.

The 121st Rose Parade will begin at 8 a.m. Friday. Paradegoers can access any of four Pasadena train stations close to the parade route on Colorado Boulevard.

The Memorial Park and Del Mar stations are about two blocks from the parade route, while the Lake and Allen stations are about four blocks away.

Parking will be available at several Metro Gold Line stations, including Atlantic, Indiana, Sierra Madre Villa, Del Mar, Fillmore, Mission, Heritage Square/Arroyo, Lincoln Heights/Cypress Park and the largest at Union Station.

College football fans attending the 96th Rose Bowl Game at 2:10 p.m. Friday can also use the Metro Gold Line and exit at Memorial Park station. They should then walk three blocks west on Holly Street to the Parsons Corp. complex to catch the free Rose Bowl Game shuttle bus starting at 10 a.m.

Metro will also provide access to view the Rose Parade floats after the parade. It will operate shuttle service from the Sierra Madre Villa Gold Line station to the Pose Parade venue from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Friday. Shuttle service from the Post Parade area back to the Sierra Madre Villa station will continue to 5:30 p.m.

On Saturday, Metro will offer shuttle service from the Post Parade area back to the Sierra Madre Villa Station until 5:30 p.m. The shuttle buses will run every five or ten minutes from the station.